A Warrior's Daughter
by hortensetheowl
Summary: In the aerie of eagles Streak and Zan, under a starry Ambalan sky, Kira, a Barn Owl, hatches. She grows up with a hunger to learn and love for both her adoptive parents and her hatch mother, Pure One warrior Blaze. But when Kira discovers a terrible rumour about her creation, she leaves everything she's ever known in search of the truth. Spinoff of "A Story of Rage and Love".
1. Prologue

Prologue

On a rocky aerie in the forest of Ambala, a bald eagle looked up at the sky. Under normal circumstances, Streak was never a worrywart, but tonight was a very special night; it was little Kira's First Meat-On-Bones ceremony, and he was scanning the skies looking for her mother.

Kira was a young Barn Owl hatchling who lived under the care of Streak and his mate, Zan. The two owls cared for her mother, an amber – coloured Barn Owl named Cedar, merely months before she joined a mysterious group of Barn Owls known as the Pure Ones. Neither Streak nor Zan knew much about this strange gang, only that once Cedar became a full – fledged member, her name was changed to Blaze, and that it had it's share of brutal owls; one such owl being the monstrous brute known as Purge, who had force – mated Blaze and, consequently, was Kira's father. Of course, Kira knew nothing of this; Blaze made it clear to Streak and Zan that she never find out. Despite her parentage, however, Kira was a very gentle owlet who treated all the creatures she met with kindness.

Streak was still meditating on how such a monstrous owl like Purge could create such kindly offspring as Kira when a flash of amber appeared in the starry sky above, and before long, Blaze lighted down onto the aerie, a dwarf rat in her talons. "I hope I'm not late." Blaze said, a slight churr in her voice.

"Heavens no, Cedar." Streak said. A soft sigh escaped Blaze's beak. "Oh, it feels wonderful to hear my old name again." She murmured, earning a chuckle from Streak. Blaze's family had an odd tradition of naming their owlets after the environment in which they hatched, and when Blaze was under Streak and Zan's care, she had thought the whole thing quite ridiculous. However, since Kira hatched under the constellation known to the eagles as Kira, the Great Eagle, and was hatching amongst eagles, Blaze had thought the name rather fitting; it was actually her who had given Kira her name.

"Now, don't you worry about a thing, Cedar." Streak went on. "I've insisted to Zan that we not start the ceremony until you arrive." With that, he turned his head towards a far corner of the nest and bellowed, "Kira! Your mother's here!"

A small Barn Owl chick looked up towards Blaze, eyes brightening. Her white, heart – shaped face was the only part of her that currently matched her mothers; she was covered in fluffy white down, and her large, pink feet raced toward her, almost tripping. "Mum!" she shreed joyfully, barreling herself into Blaze's warm embrace. "Kira, oh my darling Kira!" Blaze shreed, weeping copious tears. Her force – mating by Purge was horrific and painful, but when she looked into Kira's eyes, she saw no trace of her father's hate, only pure, unadulterated love. "Oh, it is so good to see you!"

"Papa Streak's been teaching me about the stars!" Kira went on. "He says I'll make a great navigator once I've had my First Flight ceremony!"

"Oh, melt my gizzard!" Blaze cooed. "I'm sure Uncle Kludd will be so proud of you!" Amongst the Pure Ones, Kludd was one of Blaze's closest friends besides an owl with the Pure One name Banshee, but whom Blaze often referred to as Pigwidgeon. During their training, Kludd proved to be a fierce fighter, and passed each challenge flawlessly, thus earning him the Pure One name Bloodstar. It was actually Kludd who had avenged Blaze by killing Purge, and later went on to kill the previous High Tyto, thus loosing his face and earning the name Metal Beak. For this reason, Blaze often spoke fondly of Kludd and insisted early on that, on the occasion that Kludd meet Kira, that she call him "Uncle Kludd". As a result, Kira looked forward to this occasion with great enthusiasm.

'When will I get to meet Uncle Kludd, Mummy? When?" Kira asked, a plaintive note in her voice. "Soon, darling Kira, soon." Blaze said softly. "Now, open your beak; I have a wonderful surprise for your First Meat-On-Bones ceremony." And with that, Kira tipped her head up and opened her beak as Blaze placed the mouse in and instructed her on the proper way to swallow it. Before long, the mouse was gone and Kira had yarped up her first real pellet while Blaze offered her a hearty congratulations and wrapped her wings around her in a warm embrace.

Streak and Zan, the latter of whom had been watching from the starboard side of the aerie, smiled as Kira snuggled into her mother's embrace. There was no denying that Blaze was not an easy owl to warm up to; sarcastic, hot – tempered, and rough in nature, she could easily slice your head off if an owl even so much as looked at her like she was weak. However, if any owl got to know her long enough, they would discover that she was the most loyal friend they could ever have, and she could bolster their spirit when they needed it. Kira, however, did not take long to grow on Blaze; Blaze had loved Kira the moment she had hatched, and had made a promise to both Kludd and herself to be as big of a part of Kira's life as possible. So while Kira could not live amongst the Pure Ones with Blaze, there was no denying that Blaze would defend her daughter with her life.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

As liquid black night crept out into the Ambalan sky, Kira peered out over the edge of the aerie where she lived with her adoptive parents, Streak and Zan, looking out for her hatch mother. Tonight was her First Flight ceremony; she had at long last molted her down and had fledged true flight feathers. She was now a full grown Barn Owl, with the same amber feathers as her mum and a similar tilt to her facial disk as her da.

Kira often wondered about her hatch da. She had seen her hatch mum upon multiple occasions, from her hatching to her First Meat-On-Bones, but never her da. Her hatch mum had told her many stories of her brave Uncle Kludd and her beautiful Auntie Nyra, as well as her Uncle Pigdwidgeon and her Uncle Diamondclaw, but the one time Kira asked about her da, both her hatch mum and her adoptive parents only said that he had died before she was hatched. Kira figured from this that it had been in some great battle; in any case, from that point on, she never asked and they never told.

Kira was shaken out of her thoughts when she saw a familiar bundle of amber feathers. _Mum! _She thought excitedly before seeing three other owls behind her; one with reddish – brown feathers, one with a face as white as the moon, and one wearing a metal mask. Kira shook with pure excitement; she had never seen these owls before, but she knew who they were in a heartbeat. "Mum!" she shreed joyfully. "Uncle Pigwidgeon! Auntie Nyra! Uncle Kludd!"

Blaze looked up towards the aerie to find Kira perched on the edge, her black eyes filled with excitement. "Oh, darling Kira!" she cried, her face radiating pure joy as she flew towards her daughter, with the others close behind. "Why can't she call me Banshee like the other Pure Ones do?" muttered the one named Pigwidgeon under his breath. "She likes pulling your feathers, Banshee; she always has." Kludd churred. _Indeed. _Kludd thought to himself. _Blaze has enjoyed teasing Banshee since Blaze was still Cedar and Banshee called himself Scourge. _Finally, the three alighted down behind Blaze while Kira was snuggled into her embrace.

Finally, Kira pulled away and looked at the owls behind her. "You guys must be my Uncle Pigwidgeon, Auntie Nyra, and Uncle Kludd." She said softly, with admiration. "My mum's told me so much about you."

"And we've heard a great deal about you, Kira." Nyra replied. "It's an absolute pleasure to finally meet you." However, out of the three owls, Nyra had the most reservations regarding Kira. Nyra was one of the few owls who knew that Kira was the result of Purge force – mating Blaze, let alone that Kira even existed. And yet, when Nyra looked at Kira, the resemblance her face had to that of Purge – an owl hated by all four of them – took Nyra's breath away. _Dearest Tyto, don't let her be anything like her father. _Nyra silently prayed.

"Indeed." Kludd added, his voice echoing through his metal mask. "We hear you are a very smart little owlet." Kludd had the same reservations as his mate; however, when he looked at Kira, he saw a resemblance not to Purge but to his old friend Garth. Garth had been Purge's son long before Kira was created and was one of Kludd's closest friends during training. However, Purge had murdered his son in cold blood after he and another recruit, Brutus, had somehow found out a secret that, until then, only Kludd, Blaze, and a few other owls knew: that Garth was not only attracted to males, but that he happened to be in love with a Lesser Sooty who was once known as Dustin. After Garth's death, Dustin was exiled from the Pure Ones by the High Tyto at the time, but after Kludd became High Tyto, he welcomed Dustin back into the Pure Ones and gave him a new name: Diamondclaw.

Kira nodded excitedly. "After my First Flight ceremony, Papa Streak's gonna teach me how to fish!" she replied. "I'll be the first Barn Owl to eat fish!"

Blaze churred happily at this. "Well, you'll have to let us know how it tastes." She said warmly. "In the meantime, let's focus on your First Flight ceremony. " Kira nodded and then turned back to her previous position, keeping in mind everything the eagles – and her mum – taught her. _Always remember the direction of the wind when you're flying. _Her mum's words echoed in her head. _And remember not to flap unless you need to; there's no need for you to go flapping about like a drunk pigeon. _With that, Kira spread her lovely amber wings and leapt off the aerie, and before long, she was gliding swiftly and silently through the Ambalan sky.

A loud cheer erupted from the aerie. "Hooray! Hooray!" Banshee cried. "Kira, daughter of Blaze, is flying! Kira, raised by eagles, is flying!" Blaze, on the other hand, simply wept happy tears, while Nyra pressed in next to Kludd in a warm embrace. Kira felt joy coursing through her, making her gizzard glow. She did not need her mum to tell her she was proud of her; Kira already knew.

After her First Flight ceremony, Blaze, Banshee, Nyra and Kludd headed back to the fortress in Tyto that they called home, but not before Blaze turned towards Kira, pride in her sparkling black eyes. "I am so proud of you, my girl." She had said, embracing Kira one last time. "Remember that." She then gave Kira a sparkling emerald pendant, laced with sliver and hanging on a silver chain. "The Others used to call this a necklace." Blaze explained. "I was going to save it for your hatchday, but…" Upon hearing this, Kira wrapped her wings around her mum, tears in her eyes. "It's absolutely beautiful, mum." Kira said, almost sobbing as Blaze put the necklace on. "It's been in my family for generations; wear it with pride, my darling." Kira was still savouring the sweet memory of her receiving the necklace when her adoptive parents, Streak and Zan, landed in the aerie, Streak carrying a small, brown bundle. Upon closer examination, Kira realized that the brown bundle was a Spotted Owl and noticed, to her horror, that Zan's mouth had blood dripping out the sides.

"We had gone to St. Aggies to retrieve another egg." Streak explained. Kira knew that Streak and Zan were part of a secret operation to stop the evil owls of St. Aggies, who were snatching chicks – and eggs – at an alarming rate. "We had gone over there, thinking that it would be the same as it always was, when it turned out that our slipgizzle, Hortense –" here he gestured to the Spotted Owl in his talons " – had been found out by these evil owls. There was a horrible fracas, and to make a long story short, Zan's tongue got ripped out and Hortense was pushed off the ledge." Streak sighed, letting go of Hortense, who had a guilty look in her eyes, while he went to help Zan clean herself up, leaving a shocked Kira with Hortense.

"I tried to save the egg," Hortense said, her voice broken, "tried to get it out of there, but…" "Shh, shh shh shh." Kira whispered, leading Hortense to the part of the aerie where she slept. "You can sleep with me tonight." She added before quickly plucking some down from underneath her wings – the way she had seen her mother do for her when she was younger – and tucked it under the spot where Hortense would be sleeping. She then began to softly sing a tune which Mama Zan, as Kira called her, used to sing to her to help her sleep:

_We have fallen down again tonight_

_In this world it's hard to get it right_

_Trying to make your heart fit like a glove_

_What it needs is love, love, love_

_Everybody, everybody wants to love_

_Everybody, everybody wants to be loved_

_Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh_

_Everybody, everybody wants to love_

_Everybody, everybody wants to be loved_

_Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh_

_Happy is the heart that still feels pain_

_Darkness drains and light will come again_

_Swing open up your chest and let it in_

_Just let the love, love, love begin_

_Everybody, everybody wants to love_

_Everybody, everybody wants to be loved_

_Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh_

_Everybody, everybody wants to love_

_Everybody, everybody wants to be loved_

_Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh_

_Oh, everybody knows the love_

_Everybody holds the love_

_Everybody falls for love_

_Everybody feels the love_

_Everybody steals the love_

_Everybody heals with love_

_Oh, oh, oh, oh, just let the love, love, love begin_

_Everybody, everybody wants to love_

_Everybody, everybody wants to be loved_

_Oh, oh, oh, Just let the love, love, love begin_

_Everybody, everybody wants to love_

_Everybody, everybody wants to be loved_

_Oh, oh, oh, Just let the love, love, love begin_

_Everybody, everybody wants to love_

_Everybody, everybody wants to be loved_

_Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh_

_Everybody feels to love_

_Everybody steals to be loved_

_Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh_

_Everybody, everybody wants to love (oh, everybody)_

_Everybody, everybody wants to be loved (oh, everybody)_

_Oh, oh, oh (oh, everybody) oh, oh, oh (oh, everybody) oh, oh, oh, oh. Oh._

_Everybody, everybody wants to love (oh, everybody)_

_Everybody, everybody wants to be loved (oh, everybody)_

_Oh, oh, oh (oh, everybody) oh, oh, oh (oh, everybody) oh, oh, oh, oh. Oh. _

As soon as Kira finished the song, she saw that Hortense had drifted off to sleep, and Kira soon settled in beside her. Her last thought before she fell asleep was, _How can the world be filled with both good and evil?_

**A/N: Aaaahhh! I'm so excited to finally be able to tell this story! What do you guys think of Kira so far? I wanted to make her a sweet, innocent young owl and grow a little bit as the story progresses (for those of you unfamiliar with the references made in this chapter, please take a look at "A Story of Rage and Love" which is basically about Kludd). Oh, and the song Kira sings to Hortense is "Everybody" by Ingrid Michaelson. As always, show some love and review!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Guardians of Ga'Hoole or "Everybody"; full credit goes to their respective writers.**


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Kira was flying incredibly fast, faster than she thought normal. _What in the name of Glaux?_ She wondered to herself; she was quite frightened by the speed she was flying at. As she flew, the landscape below her changed from the familiar Ambalan forest to an unfamiliar, yet beautiful, forest. _This wouldn't be such a bad place to move. _Kira thought to herself, and went in to land. Just as Kira found a nice spruce, however, she heard a terrified shree, and as she turned around, the landscape changed again.

This time, it was in a mountainous area with very sparse vegetation. However, Kira's eyes went wide with horror when she saw a group of young owlets stranded on the ground – all of them Tytos. _Where did these owlets come from? _She wondered in fear before clearing her head. _Doesn't matter – what matters is that these owlets need help, and fast. _She then went over to pick one up, a Grass Owl, and move it away from open sight, when the Grass Owl cried, in a low, mournful whistle, "In my purity, I cry to my Tyto, but he is not there!"

Kira looked at the Grass Owl, perplexed, before a chorus of voices much like his joined in, chanting similar ditties. Kira backed away, confused, before bumping into a soft feathery mass, which later turned out to be an elderly Spotted Owl. "Good Glaux, what could've happened?" The owl sighed, shaking her head. Kira was just about to respond when she saw a mass of other owls lighting down – Great Grays, Great Horneds, Pygmies, and Snowies, as well as strange – looking owls with long, featherless legs. She then felt the talons of a Snowy wrap gently around her and heard a voice say, "Don't worry, my darling. You're safe now."

_Safe from what? _Kira thought before she heard a nasty voice cackling through the night, and saw a Barn Owl fly towards the Snowy. This owl didn't have the same light in his eyes that her mum had; his black eyes were lifeless and cold. "She's mine!" he shreed angrily, and clawed at the Snowy, causing Kira to fall.

At that moment, one thing tumbled out of Kira's beak: "Help!"

Kira woke up from her daymare shivering and screaming. _Glaux, that was an awful dream. _Kira thought to herself. _What was going on with those owlets? And who was that mean owl? _She looked around; she was still in Ambala, and the only creatures in the aerie with her were Hortense and Zan, the former whispering comforting words to the latter, and Streak, who was looking at his mate, a sad look in his eyes. Tentatively, Kira approached Streak. "Papa Streak," Kira whispered, "is Mama Zan gonna be okay?"

Streak then turned his head towards Kira and nodded. "Yes," he responded, "but she'll never be able to speak or sing; not now, not ever." Kira felt herself wanting to weep as the implications of what happened washed over her. This meant no more hearing Mama Zan sing lullabies, no more gentle bickering between her and Papa Streak; her voice was now gone for good. "There, there," Streak said reassuringly, wrapping a large brown wing around Kira, "she's still alive, isn't she? That's gotta count for something."

"Well, she may be alive, but she's still in great pain." Hortense cut in. "She'll need elk root to keep infection at bay and poppy seeds to dull the pain." "I'll go get some." Kira volunteered, and took off from the nest without another word. She wanted to help her Mama Zan, but she also needed some time alone to reflect.

As she flew, Kira thought long and hard about her dream the previous morning. What did it mean? Who was that Snowy who tried to take her to safety? What were those owls with long, featherless legs? And why did the angry Barn Owl claw at the Snowy? Didn't he know the Snowy was trying to help? Kira was still meditating on this when she spotted a patch of purple elk root flowers, and without hesitation, she circled around a bit before plunging down towards the flowers.

Once she landed, she began digging beneath the ground with her talons in order to get at the roots, as the true healing power of the plant lay here. Kira had gathered up a good amount of elk root and had just lifted off the ground in search of poppy seeds, when she heard a small squeaking noise. Curious, she turned her head and saw an owlet – a Western Screech, by the looks of it – staring at her with wide eyes. Deciding it wouldn't hurt to be friendly, Kira decided to stop for a bit. "Hello." She said, her tone inviting.

The owlet was silence for a moment, and then spoke up. "What are you doing here?" he asked, his voice curious.

"Just collecting some herbs." Kira replied. "My mum's horribly wounded, so I'm getting her some elk root and poppy seeds."

"You could gather some lavender too." The owlet offered helpfully. "My da got into a fight once, and my mum gave him some lavender and his scratches felt much better."

_What a smart little owlet! _Kira thought to herself. "Where do you think I might be able to find some lavender?" She asked. Once again, the little owlet was quick to answer, and pointed a talon east. "That way."

"Well, thank you…" Kira replied, unsure of the owlet's name. "Tristan." The owlet replied. "Tristan!" Kira replied. "What a noble name!" It was precisely at this moment that Tristan's mother, unbeknownst to both of them, peeked out of her hollow. She took one look at Tristan, then one look at Kira, and her eyes went wide with fear.

"My names…" Before Kira could finish, however, a terrified hoot sounded from behind them, and the mother flew out of the hollow in front of Tristan, shielding him. "Tristan! Get back in the hollow!" she shrieked before turning to Kira. "You leave my son alone, you hear? You took my parents away from me already; I won't let you take my son away!"

"Madam!" Kira shreed, confused at this owl's outburst. "You should know I have no such intentions. I was only…" At this, the mother sent a sharp glare at Kira. "Don't think for one second that you fool me, Purge. Get away from my nest and don't ever come back!" The mother then started swiping at Kira with her talons, causing a frightened and confused Kira to fly off the branch and away from the hollow.

As Kira flew back to the hollow, questions began swimming through her mind. Who was Purge? Why did that mother owl think the name belonged to her? Kira knew nothing of the owl that bore such a name; nevertheless, something about it disturbed her greatly. The thoughts were flying through her mind as she collected the lavender and poppy seeds, and they were still in her mind when she returned to the aerie that evening. By the time she fell asleep that morning, she felt a feeling of fear unfamiliar to her, and she could've sworn she saw a pair of cold, black eyes staring at her.

**A/N: Uh-oh, I smell trouble... Hey, sorry I took so long to get this chapter up. Yea, it was definitely obvious that Kira's resemblance to Purge was gonna cause trouble at some point, but that was just sad to write. What do you guys think? As always, show some love and review!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Guardians of Ga'Hoole; full credit goes to Kathryn Lasky.**


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Kira awoke the next evening to find a grey wisp in front of the aerie. At first, Kira thought it was a cloud; however, the more she looked at it, the more the wisp looked like an owl – a Barn Owl, to be precise. Kira suddenly had a rather startling thought; _Could this be a scroom? _She wondered. Scrooms were the spirits of owls who had unfinished business on earth, thus preventing them from going to glaumora. Perhaps this was the scroom of her da; perhaps he could help her explain these strange things. Tentatively, Kira took a step towards the scroom. _Are you my da? _She asked, although she made nary a sound.

_No. _The scroom replied sadly. _I am, however, family, although you do not know me._

At first, Kira blinked a bit, but soon she realized that the scroom was telling the truth; although then again, scrooms rarely lied about things like this. This scroom, in particular, looked a lot like her – same tilt to her face, same glittering black eyes. Even so, Kira asked, _How are we family, then?_

_ We share a Da. _The scroom replied. _A Da whose scroom you do _not _want to meet, I can assure you._

_ So… _Kira said tentatively. _You're my half brother?_

_ Yes. _The scroom replied. _And before you ask, our Da was a savage. He was the one who murdered me and force – mated your mother – a good friend of mine._

_ He what!? _Kira nearly shrieked, staggering near the edge of the aerie. She knew about force – mating; it was not like normal mating, in which a male and female mated to have chicks or out of love. There was no love in force – mating, no desire for anything but power. But her mum, force – mated by her da? It just didn't make sense.

The scroom simply nodded. _See, after I died, I watched over your mother and your Uncle Pigwidgeon – although he's now called Banshee and before, called himself Scourge – and your Uncle Kludd, and I saw things. Horrible things. Your father thought me impure because I was in love with your Uncle Diamondclaw, who was called Dustin when I met him. Someone had told him and another owl, Brutus, and he had come in and killed me. Shortly after that and after your mother and your uncles got their new names, our father sought your mother out as a mate, hoping her rage would bring him better offspring. When she refused, he pinned her to the stone floor and force – mated her. She later told your Uncle Kludd, and your Uncle Kludd killed him to avenge both myself and your mother. But his business on earth is not finished; therefore, neither is mine. _

As the scroom said this, a sad look entered his eyes, and Kira couldn't help but feel anger and confusion; anger at her da for doing the deeds described, and confused because she couldn't feel as though this was the truth. The scroom suddenly flew towards her, the sad look in his eyes replaced by one of urgency. _Listen to me. _The scroom said. _Our father will be looking for you. He will try to find you through Brutus, and he will try to persuade you to join him. Do _not _do it; fly away from him as fast as you can. _And with that, the scroom suddenly floated away, while a name suddenly appeared in Kira's brain and became a heavy stone lodged in her heart: Garth. The name of the scroom; of her dead half brother. And with that, Kira let out a cry at the stars – one of rage, anger, and hurt, before collapsing into sobs. After recovering herself, she looked up towards the sky and began singing towards her father – not that he would be up there:

_What goes around comes back around (hey my baby)  
What goes around comes back around (hey my baby)  
I say what goes around comes back around (hey my baby)  
What goes around comes back around..._

_There was a time  
I thought, that you did everything right  
No lies, no wrong  
Boy I must've been out of my mind  
So when I think of the time that I almost loved you  
You showed your tail and I, I saw the real you_

_Thank Glaux you blew it  
I thank Glaux I dodged the bullet  
I'm so over you  
So baby good lookin' out_

_[Chorus:]  
I wanted you bad  
I'm so through with that  
'Cause honestly you turned out to be the (best thing I never had)  
You turned out to be the (best thing I never had)  
And I'm gonna' always be the (best thing you never had)  
Oh yeah, I bet it sucks to be you right now_

_So sad, you're hurt  
Boo hoo, oh, did you expect me to care  
You don't deserve my tears  
I guess that's why they ain't there  
When I think that there was a time that I almost loved you  
You showed your tail and baby yes I saw the real you_

_Thank Glaux you blew it  
I thank Glaux I dodged the bullet  
I'm so over you  
Baby good lookin' out_

_[Chorus:]  
I wanted you bad  
I'm so through with that  
Cause honestly you turned out to be the (best thing I never had)  
I said, you turned out to be the (best thing I never had)  
And I'll never be the (best thing you never had)  
Oh baby I bet sucks to be you right now_

_I know you want me back  
It's time to face the facts  
That I'm the one that's got away  
Glaux knows that it would take another place, another time, another world, another life  
Thank Glaux I found the good in goodbye_

_[Chorus:]  
I used to want you so bad  
I'm so through with that  
Cause honestly you turned out to be the (best thing I never had)  
Oh you turned out to be (the best thing I never had)  
And I will always be the (best thing you never had)  
Oh, best thing you never had!_

_I used to want you so bad  
I'm so through with that  
Cause honestly you turned out to be the (best thing I never had)  
Oh you turned out to be the (best thing I never had)  
Oh, I will never be the (best thing you never had)  
Oh baby, I bet it sucks to be you right now_

_What goes around, comes back around  
What goes around, comes back around  
I bet it sucks to be you right now  
What goes around, comes back around  
I bet it sucks to be you right now  
What goes around, comes back around  
I bet it sucks to be you right now _

That morning, Hortense and the eagles had gone to sleep, but Kira was up. Earlier that night, she had made up her mind to go and find the truth about her father. Where she would find it, she didn't know, nor did she care; she would go to the Northern Kingdoms if she had to. And so, as she prepared to take off, she took one last look at Hortense and the eagles sound asleep.

_I am leaving everything I have ever known for Glaux knows how long. _Kira thought to herself. _I am leaving Ambala with it's warm summers and it's cold and dry winters abundant in snow. I am leaving all the little marshes and streams full of delicious fish that Papa Streak and Mama Zan are so good at catching. I am leaving this aerie, with it's breathtaking view of Ambala and Tyto and it's stunning sunrises in the morning and sunsets in the evening. I am leaving Papa Streak and Mama Zan, the best adoptive parents an owl could ask for, I am leaving Hortense, the hero. I am leaving my mum and Uncle Pigwidgeon and Uncle Kludd and Auntie Nyra, the warriors. I am leaving the memory of my da, the murderer. _And with that, Kira spread her amber wings and lifted off into the sky, flying as fast as she could until she was merely a speck on the horizon.

**A/N: And the adventures begin... OMG, what did you guys think? I had long mulled over the idea of Kira meeting Garth's scroom, but I wasn't quite sure how I was gonna put it in in a way that would add to the story. Fortunately, Gabi Girl 16 gave me the idea for Garth to help Kira discover the truth about their father, so lots of love to her. Oh, and the song I used for this chapter is "Best Thing I Never Had" by Beyonce (although I changed some of the words, since.. you know). As always, show some love and review!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Guardians of Ga'Hoole or "Best Thing I Never Had"; full credit goes to their respective writers.**


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

When Blaze woke up the next evening, the first thing she noticed was the bright twinkle of the stars in the hole in the roof above her. After having finally been initiated as a Pure One, Blaze, Banshee, and Kludd were lucky enough to be able to choose where they got to sleep, and after a long night of searching, they finally found that chamber, which she immediately took to because of the hole. It gave her some comfort to think that her dear friend Garth might be among those stars, and that she could still see him every evening. Of course, a lot had changed now. Purge and the old High Tyto were dead, and Kludd was now High Tyto. And while Kludd was undoubtedly quite young, Blaze was confident that he would do great things for the Pure Ones.

As soon as Blaze got up, she stretched her wings and then flew off towards the High Tyto's chamber. Today would be an interesting day – she would be flying to Tyto and the Shadow Forest to look for recruits and crush the Impure, and then to Ambala for Kira's First Moss Ceremony. When Blaze gave Kira's egg to the eagles, she had made an agreement with them that she would attend – and help Kira complete – at least half of her ceremonies; Streak had undoubtedly helped Kira complete her First Prey by now, so, as per the agreement, Blaze would be around for her First Moss. Memories of her own First Moss soon filled her being, and before long, Blaze arrived at the entrance to Kludd's chamber.

Blaze stepped towards the High Tyto, who was perched on what the Others would've called a throne, his metal mask glaring in the dark. Kludd had lost half of his face while battling the old High Tyto, although he ended up winning the fight in the end. Despite this, Nyra, who had previously been mate to the old High Tyto, willingly and lovingly took him as her mate. Blaze remembered the ceremony like it was yesterday; not only was she Nyra's bridesmaid, but Kludd and Nyra had ordained her, Banshee, Diamondclaw, Lieutenant Morgana, and her old instructor Jade as ministers to officiate the ceremony. She then cleared her throat and dipped her head in obeisance the moment Kludd turned his head. "Your Pureness."

"Ah, Blaze, you made it." Kludd said, flying towards Blaze. He may outrank her, but there was no reason Kludd couldn't still treat her with the same respect as he did when they were equals. Blaze was perhaps one of the fiercest fighters within the Pure Ones, and besides, he still enjoyed her company. He then signaled for her to raise her head and began going over Blaze's schedule. "Now, you'll be flying with Stryker, Banshee, and Morgana to Tyto for recruiting, and then you will be flying west through Kuneer…"

A sudden shree of alarm went up through the castle, and Jade burst through the High Tyto's chamber, her usually smooth golden feathers ruffled considerably. "Pardon my intrusion, Your Pureness," Jade began while desperately trying to catch her breath, "but an Impure has flown into the castle. We believe he came from Ambala, but…"

"Bring him to me." Kludd said dismissively. "I will deal with him myself." "Yes, Your Pureness." Jade replied, quickly bowing her head before leaving. Having been Kludd's instructor up until his Initiation, she still had to remember to bow her head when approaching him; never in her life had she imagined that a student she took on would become High Tyto. Before long, Jade flew in with Morgana and the Impure in question, a tiny Pygmy Owl. When they arrived, Kludd approached the trembling Pygmy, his dark eyes glaring. "Care to explain why you trespassed onto the stronghold of the Pure?" Kludd growled through his metal beak. This stupid Pygmy had interrupted him at the _worst _possible time.

"I apologize, sir, but…" the Pygmy stammered. "But two eagles… told me to find an owl named Blaze… they told me she'd be here." At this, the glare in Kludd's eyes faltered as he caught Blaze wilf out of the corner of his eye; there was only one reason an Impure from Ambala would trespass here just to find Blaze, and Kludd was one of the few who knew that reason.

As Blaze approached the frightened Pygmy, one thought rang through her head like a Boreal Owl's call: _Please don't let it be Kira. _Blaze took great pains to keep Kira away from those that would harm her; it was part of the reason why she gave Kira to the eagles. Could something – or someowl – with ill intent have finally found her? Desperately hoping it not to be true, Blaze dipped her head to be at eye level with the Pygmy. "What is it?"

"The Big Raccoon is missing from the sky." The Pygmy began. "No sign of it anywhere." At this, Jade and Morgana exchanged puzzled looks at each other; Kludd and Blaze, however, understood perfectly. When Blaze gave Kira up, her and the eagles established a code in order to protect the knowledge of her existence from any remaining supporter's of Purge. Since Kira was the eagles' name for the Big Raccoon, "Big Raccoon" was the agreed upon codeword for Kira, and "sky" was the codeword for the aerie. So while it sounded like the Pygmy was rattling off nonsense about constellations, for Blaze and for Kludd, although he knew nothing of the code, the words took on another terrifying meaning: _Kira's gone missing._

Within moments, Blaze and Kludd flew out of his chamber to find Banshee and Nyra, the only other owls within the Pure Ones who knew of Kira's existence. Together, the four would send Stryker out to find a tracker and the tracker would hopefully help them find Kira. As they flew, Kludd sent out a silent prayer: _Dearest Glaux, watch over that young owl. _He wouldn't have normally done this for any owl, but this was Kira, his Glauxdaughter. Blaze's dear little hatchling.

Kira had been flying for quite a while when she decided to rest for a bit. By this point, she had flown far away from Ambala and was now over a barely recognizable landscape, with neither a tree nor a shrub anywhere. After circling around for quite some time, she finally found a spot below and dived towards it, making a perfect landing. _Great Glaux, that was spectacular. _Kira thought to herself. _Could've passed my branching test on that one. _Memories of branching and her First Flight ceremony soon flashed through her brain, and she was soon filled with an aching sadness. Would she ever see her family again? As she realized the answer could very well be no, tears spilled from Kira's black eyes, and sobs soon racked her body.

"The Barrens is a bad place to have a cry, you know." A grainy voice beside her said, and Kira jumped for a moment as she turned to look at the owl to whom the voice belonged. It was an owl whom Kira had never met before in her life, but she knew what it was unmistakably: it was one of the owls from her dreams! It had the same yellow eyes, the same white eyebrows, the same brown feathers mottled with white, and the same featherless legs! Kira stammered. "H-how are you able to live here?"

"Oh, it's not all bad, you know." The owl replied. "There's a river that runs through here, and prey isn't so scarce as you would think. Besides," the owl added with a churr, "being a Burrowing Owl has its benefits in a place like this."

Kira laughed uneasily, some of her apprehension fading away. _So that's what those owls are called. _Kira thought to herself. She now had a name for the strange owl before her. "So what are you doing here?" The Burrowing Owl asked, fixing his eyes on Kira. "Not moving, I suppose; a Burrowing Owl might do fine here, but I can't say the same for a Barn Owl like you."

With a sigh, Kira told him everything – about her dream, the disastrous encounter in which she was mistaken for the owl named Purge, her encounter with Garth's scroom, and finally, her decision to fly away. When she finished, the Burrowing Owl eyes were wide with shock. "Come inside my burrow. I have some bingle juice, perfect for a cool autumn night, not to mention some information you might find valuable."

Kira followed the Burrowing Owl, who later introduced himself as David, into his hollow, which was rather small, but still comfy. "I have many friends here who have encountered that owl, and I've heard things. Horrible things. From what I understand, the Pure Ones are a strange group that believes Tytos – or Barn Owls – are a supreme species, as it were. But Purge…" Here David sighed and shook his head. "He didn't just kill non – Tytos; he would willingly kill other Tytos if they had hatched with a deformity or if they had fallen in love with an owl of their own gender. He sometimes went so far as to kill fellow Pure Ones if he perceived them to have such a mindset." Kira then felt a stabbing at her gizzard as she remembered how Garth had told her the same thing. "My half – brother was murdered by that owl for falling in love with my uncle." She spat bitterly. "My mother was then force – mated by him. For that, I refuse to acknowledge him as my father."

David peered into Kira's black eyes, and could see the sorrow that lay within them. What a despicable creature Purge was! She definitely needed to get away, start a new life. "I'm sorry to hear of Garth's death." He began. "I had met him once while flying through Silverveil. It's absolutely lovely this time of year, and Garth was such a kind young owl, nothing like his father. I shall miss him, as I'm sure all of Silverveil will."

"Garth's story on Earth is finished." David continued. "But you, Kira, you're still in the middle of yours. Go to Silverveil, find a hollow, start a new life." Kira sighed. "But how?" she asked David. "In case you haven't noticed, I'm the spitting image –"

"Of Garth." David finished. "When I look at you, I see the same lively sparkle I saw in Garth's eyes. His father never would've had that sparkle, that much I am sure of." He then looked up at Kira beseechingly. "Come on, Kira, you have to try; if not for me, then for Garth."

Kira thought about it for a moment. Perhaps it would be a good idea to start fresh; to find a hollow and a mate and just start over. "All right." Kira said before stepping out of David's burrow. She then turned her head towards David and added, "Thank you."

"Don't mention it." David replied, watching as Kira spread her lovely amber wings and rose into the night sky. "Goodbye, Kira."

"Goodbye, David."

**A/N: Sqqquuuuueeeeeeeaaaaaallllll! So Kira's finally on her way to Silverveil! She'll meet some interesting owls there no doubt, and her story will go to some crazy places! And all the meanwhile, poor Blaze will be looking desperately for her. What did you guys think? As always, show some love and review!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Guardians of Ga'Hoole; full credit goes to Kathryn Lasky.**


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Kira flew on for at least a day, calmer now than before and with a purpose in mind. David's words had given her spirit a much needed boost, and had also cleared her head; he was right, she needed to get away for a while, and Silverveil might not be such a bad place to do so. Before long, day began to break over the horizon, and Kira spotted a tall grove of pine trees nearby. Feeling relieved that she wouldn't have to sleep on the cold, plantless ground of the Barrens, Kira peeked into the hollow of a particularly tall pine and, after she was satisfied that there were no current residents, settled in. As Kira fell asleep, her last thoughts were of Garth and Silverveil – and of her mother.

"From the looks of these feathers, I'd say she'd flown through here rather recently." Blaze looked intently at Delphine, a battle – scarred Short – Eared Owl, as she studied a feather, which undoubtedly belonged to Kira, laying near the Ambala – Barrens border. Shortly after her and Kludd had gathered Banshee and Nyra and prepared to leave, Stryker arrived back at the fortress with Delphine in tow, stating that she was one of the best trackers in the owl kingdoms. Judging by the fact that Stryker's feathers had been askew, Blaze had figured that he had had to fly all the way to the Beyond to find her. _One can only wonder how he had the strength to make _that_ trip. _Blaze thought to herself, but held her tongue.

"From the Barrens, this owl could have gone three possible routes." Delphine continued. "She could have flown to Silverveil, the Shadow Forest, or even Ga'Hoole, and from those points, she may have either stayed or continued her travels; for all we know, she may have died from exhaustion in the Barrens. We will have to follow her feathers in order to make sure."

The lack of feeling in this owls voice made Blaze burn with indignation, and she gave Delphine a hearty glare. "I think you're forgetting, ma'am," she growled in an icy tone, "that this owl you're speaking of is my daughter. I may not understand her ways, but she is my daughter, and if anyowl with ill intent dares to even tap her with a single talon, I shall rip them wing from wing." Kludd then approached Delphine, deliberately keeping her and Blaze apart in doing so. "How quickly do you think we will be able to track her down, Delphine."

"Ideally, it should take maybe a day or two; the portion of the Barrens between Ambala and Silverveil is rather thin, so if she went there, we'll be able to find her quite quickly." Delphine replied before lifting off into the air, still stunned by Blaze's response. Blaze had not explained her daughter's origins to them, but Delphine knew the mark of an owl force – mated, and Blaze certainly bore it; for this reason, why Blaze had not simply stayed away from her daughter or better yet, smashed the egg right then and there, confounded Delphine. She had spent the majority of her life in the Beyond, and that was where she learned an important lesson: life had no room for weakness. But rogues from the Beyond had little scruples, and these owls had offered Delphine handsome payment – a finely crafted pair of battle claws from a rogue smith in Tyto! Delphine considered herself something of a collector; each Rogue smith had their own style, and Delphine loved to compare battle claws.

As Delphine lifted off, with Kludd, Nyra, Banshee, and Blaze following close behind, Bashee looked towards Blaze, whose eyes still seemed determined to burn a hole into the back of Delphine's head. "What will happen to Kira when we find her?" Banshee asked, his voice wavering.

Blaze sighed, her heart and gizzard heavy. "She did a very foolish thing," she explained, "but she is young and probably has her reasons. In the moment that we find her, I will have a private discussion on the matter before I make any decisions on disciplinary action. She is my daughter and a living creature, prone to make mistakes, and she deserves to have her side of this story heard. And I intend to hear it before I make any decisions."

Banshee looked at her with admiration. He sometimes wondered if maybe it would have been better if Blaze had kept Kira rather than give her up; her attachment to her daughter was fierce and unwavering, and Banshee had no doubt that Blaze cared for her. _Dearest Glaux, _Banshee prayed silently, _don't let Kira die. Do what you want, but don't break her mother's gizzard._

Kira woke up the next evening to the sound of drums pounding and owls singing. Curious, she went to go investigate the matter… and was unprepared for the sight that greeted her.

In a small clearing below her, owls of many different species were dancing in a unique rhythm, the likes of which Kira had never seen before, while singing a song that Kira never heard, but immediately grew fond of. The owls – ranging from Northern Saw – whet to Great Horned to Boreal – had painted some of their feathers various shades of gold, yellow, orange, and red, and had woven fallen leaves between their wing feathers, creating quite a spectacle. However, what really caught Kira's attention was a Barn Owl who, at the moment, was dancing with a young Barred Owl. His feathers, which were the color of copper and painted with streaks of vermillion, saffron, and goldenrod, did little to conceal his lithe, muscular form, and his ebony eyes sparkled with energy and enthusiasm. Kira watched, enthralled, as the owl glided effortlessly through the clearing.

"That would be Leo you're stalking over there, and yes, I agree, he's an absolute hunk." Kira heard a husky voice say, and turned around, startled, to find a female Masked Owl staring intently at her. The top of her head was painted a bright scarlet, while her dark brown wings and lighter brown underbelly were painted golden yellow. Her eyes, meanwhile, seemed to sparkle with amusement. "Then again, I think the majority of Silverveil would agree with you; females have been chasing after him since his First Flight ceremony."

"Are you guys taking about Leo?" a chirpy voice asked as its owner, a Northern Saw – Whet whose feathers were streaked with amarinth and jonquil, settled onto the branch beside the Masked Owl. "Oh, the things I would do to that owl. I mean, not if Valentina was interested, but sweet Glaux, I'd fly that owl all. Around. Silverveil."

The owl identified as Valentina gave a slight chuckle and rolled her head in a clockwise motion. "This is Athena; she's really nice when she's not being Silverveil's biggest flirt!" She shot Athena a look of mock annoyance and turned her head back towards Kira. "As you may have heard, I'm Valentina, although many owls call me Val."

"Kira." Kira replied, surprised and relieved at Val's friendliness. She then turned her eyes back to the festivities below. "So what's going on here? And why are you guys painting your feathers?"

"It's our Festival de Outono!" Athena replied cheerfully, earning a confused look from Kira. Val quickly stepped in to explain. "You know that us owls have two main languages – Hoolian and Krakish, right?" Kira nodded. "Well, a few of us in Silverveil had done some research on the Others, and with some help from Trader Mags – she's a magpie living here – they unearthed a few stone fragments that the Others left. As it turns out, they spoke many different languages; some looked like Hoolian and Krakish, while others were ones we had never even seen before, and now, we're trying to learn all of them. What you just heard is what the Others called Portuguese, and you may hear a fair bit of it the longer you stay here."

"With that having been explained," Val went on, "every year, around the time of the Copper – Rose Rain, before Punkie Night – you know what Punkie Night is, right?" Kira nodded. "Well, before then, we have a little festival called Festival de Outono to celebrate the colours of autumn. There's food, feather painting, and plenty of samba dancing, and even the oldest owls celebrate it." Kira was about to ask what samba was when she heard a strange, almost otherworldly sound fill the air, indicating the start of a new song. It was precisely at this moment that Leo flew up to the three females, causing Kira's heart to skip a beat.

"Val, Athena!" he called as he flew, although his eyes were on Kira. "Are you gonna tell your new friend about Festival de Outono, or are you gonna show her?" With that, Val beckoned for Kira to follow her while Athena let out a joyous whoop. As Kira flew, she could feel the rhythm of the music flowing through her veins, and as the entire forest sang, she danced as if she had known this song her entire life.

_Let's come together, singing love and harmonia_

_We are so different, but the same inside our hearts_

_Beautiful colors, just as far as the eyes can see ya_

_Open your wings, fly when you hear the call_

_Let's celebrate, for we are beautiful creatures_

_Come spread your wings, dance and sing songs about freedom_

_Like lah lah lah hoo hoo_

_One for the forest família_

_Like bah bah bah boo boo_

_Calling the beautiful creatures_

_Come this way celebrate_

_Laugh and dance all the way_

_Follow me sing along_

_Lah lah bah bah boom boom_

_Já disse que Jade chegou_

_Já disse que já disse que Jade chegou_

_Já disse que Jade chegou_

_Já disse que já disse que Jade chegou_

"This is amazing!" Kira shouted to Val, feeling an unfamiliar sense of exhilaration. "This is samba!" Val replied, dancing in a rhythm similar to Kira's. "I'd say more, but you really need to feel it to understand it." This was all Kira needed to hear; she could feel the song flowing through her as if it had always been there. _Perhaps I do belong here. _Kira thought to herself, and with that, Kira began to sing along, as if the words had taken on a new meaning for her.

_Let's celebrate, for we are beautiful creatures_

_Come spread your wings, dance and sing songs about freedom_

_Like lah lah lah hoo hoo_

_One for the forest família_

_Like bah bah bah boom boom_

_Calling the beautiful creatures_

**A/N: Aaaaahhhhh! Kira has arrived in Silverveil at last! But her adventure is far from over... So, what did you guys think? I was a little low on exact ideas for this one, so I apologize if the writing's crappy or cliche. Oh, and the song I used is "Beautiful Creatures" from ****_Rio 2_****, although, as you may have guessed, I changed some of the lyrics because context (on a side note, I apologize if I got any of them wrong, the lyric sites I found weren't very good). As always, show some love and review! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Guardians of Ga'Hoole or "Beautiful Creatures"; full credit goes to their respective writers.**


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

On a brisk autumn night in the Shadow Forest, a lone Barn Owl flew out of the pine he called home to find food. The White Rain would be coming fairly soon, and he wanted to be able to catch some prey before they all scuttled back into their burrows. He soon found a meaty rabbit and tore into it with great gusto, only interrupted by the sound of giggling owlets. Listening in, the owl determined that the owlets were in their hollows, and was just about to go back to his rabbit when he heard something that made his blood run cold: "Feel my talons, Kreeth!" The owl sent a glare towards the owlets' hollow, even though he knew they wouldn't see it. He may not have been amongst the Pure Ones anymore, but he still hated those legends more than anything else.

The owl sighed, reflecting on everything that had befallen him. He had lived here once before, but he had once been known as Brutus, and he had loved his name from the moment he first heard it. Even when he was an owlet, he thought a fierce and powerful sounding name; the only thing he loved more than his name was the name his family had been given: Citius. His da had told him that it was Latin for "fast", and Brutus immediately became quite proud of it. When he joined the Pure Ones, he had bragged about both names repeatedly, although he would later learn that names didn't matter in the Pure Ones. In the end, all that mattered was your strength and rage, and Brutus had those in spades.

Brutus had been put into a chamber with three other Barn Owls and under an instructor named Cassius. Brutus liked that owl well enough, but the owl he truly looked up to from the moment he met him was Purge. Purge was the ultimate example of a Pure One in Brutus' eyes: strong, loyal, and fierce. Perhaps it was because Brutus had Purge as an example that his class was among those who excelled; in fact, the only group that could possibly have matched them was the one led by a female Barn Owl named Jadalyn. Brutus and his chambermates showed respect for them in classes but mocked them when they were alone, particularly the one called Kludd. Brutus had always thought that Kludd was a stupid name, and he now wished he had said that out loud.

The further Kludd's group had advanced, the more jealous Brutus became. So jealous, in fact, that he began discreetly following Kludd in order to gain information on potential weaknesses. Brutus had been following Kludd and his group on one such occasion when he learned that Garth, an owl in Kludd's class, was gay. Because of his jealousy and admiration of Purge, relaying that information later on to the commander was a joyous task; Brutus knew that Garth was not only an integral part of the group, but was also Purge's son, and he had thought that he had crippled the group permanently. He later turned out to be very wrong: rather than slash the life blood of the group, he had caused Kludd's rage to burn hotter in his gizzard, allowing Kludd's Special to be far more vicious than Brutus'. And now here Brutus was, not a Pure One with a special Pure One name, but a rogue without any name at all.

As Brutus' rage at Kludd began to burn, a misty shape began floating towards him. Brutus' eyes widened; he had never seen a scroom before, much less in the Shadow Forest. Before long, however, the scroom began to take on a familiar shape.

_Purge? _Brutus asked, a mixture of rage and sorrow filling him. Clearly, Kludd had avenged Garth's death, and Brutus had once again underestimated this owl. No matter – Brutus would avenge Purge.

_I know exactly what you're thinking Brutus. _Purge told him, his black eyes glaring. _You will not be killing Kludd. I appreciate your desire to avenge me, but you will not be laying a talon on the new High Tyto; I have other plans for that miserable mooncalf._

Brutus' eyes widened in shock. Kludd, High Tyto? It couldn't be. _It is. _Purge said, as if reading his mind. _Now listen up. _Brutus now stood at full attention, back erect. _There is a young owl who has my face and Cedar's feathers – you remember Cedar, right? _Brutus nodded, rage filling him once again. Cedar had been another owl in Kludd's group; not only was she completely insufferable, but she had also beaten him during his first fight class – an embarrassment he had never lived down. _Well, that owl is both my daughter and Cedar's, although she refuses to acknowledge it. _Purge continued._ She is flying alone – away from Cedar and any of the Pure Ones. I want you to find her and train her to be a Pure One – a better one than Garth turned out to be. Most importantly, you will train her to hate – to hate Kludd, hate Scourge, even hate her own mother. This is why I don't want you to kill Kludd – I want him and Cedar to die at the talons of an owl they are searching for right now._

Brutus nodded in understanding. _And if I do this, _he asked the scroom, _will I become a Pure One._

_ I can't say. _Purge said noncommittally, as if he had given no thought on the matter. _But I can say that you will earn the respect and obedience of many. Perhaps you may even command your own army – an army strong enough to combat the Pure Ones and the Guardians of Ga'Hoole! _

Brutus' eyes immediately lit up; he definitely liked that idea. He was just about to pledge his devotion to this task when Purge disappeared. He quickly bowed his head, as if to say, _I won't let you down, _and flew out to find the daughter of Purge and Cedar.

Kludd looked out over the horizon from the burrow him and the others were staying in. It had once belonged to a Burrowing Owl, but Kludd had scared the owl quite a bit, and after Delphine made some adjustments, the five owls managed to fit themselves into it. Kludd, for his part, would've preferred a tree, but there was none to be found in The Barrens, so they had to make do. Delphine, for her part, was used to ground dwellings and remained unbothered by the arrangement.

Kludd heard a small coughing noise behind him and turned around to find Nyra, up and blinking at him with her sparkling black eyes. "See anything?" she asked, and Kludd shook his head. "Coast is clear." He replied. "Not even a mouse."

Nyra simply nodded, and Kludd cocked his head in interest. Nyra was only this silent when something was bothering her. "Is something wrong, my dear?" he asked, tentatively. "You seem rather upset."

Nyra sighed. No use keeping her worries from Kludd; where the old High Tyto, Ag, was completely clueless about her moods, Kludd read her like an open book. "It's just…" Nyra began, unsure of how to explain what she felt. "I just worry sometimes, Kludd. I mean, the amount of devotion Blaze has to that hatchling is quite touching, I must say, and Purge is undoubtedly dead, but Brutus may still be alive."

Kludd nodded, troubled by this possibility. Brutus had been in his classes with him, Blaze, Banshee, and Garth, but he had also been partially responsible for Garth's death. When Kludd had learned that Brutus would not be becoming a Pure One, he had hoped that that was the last he would have to see of him. And yet, here he was, confronting the possibility that Brutus may still be alive. Nevertheless, he put a gentle wing around Nyra. "Delphine is one of the best trackers in the Beyond, my dear." Kludd said softly. "I'm sure we will find Kira before Brutus does."

Nyra went further into Kludd's comforting embrace, whispering, "I hope you're right, my dear." And as Delphine and the others woke up and signaled them to move, Kludd's most prominent thought was, _I hope so too._

**A/N: Aaaaaaannnnndddd the tension mounts! So as it turns out, not only is Brutus still alive, he's also on the hunt for revenge, making the search for Kira more urgent... but of course no one actually knows this (don't you guys just love dramatic irony?)! What did you guys think? As always, show some love and review!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Guardians of Ga'Hoole; full credit goes to Kathryn Lasky.**


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Kira woke up that evening in a lovely fir tree overlooking a turquoise lake. She stretched out her wings and hopped outside of her hollow before flying down towards it. Many of her feathers were still painted in crimson, gold, gamboge, and russet from Festival de Outono, and they were now beginning to make her feathers feel heavy. She then washed off most of the colours before deciding to keep some of the gold in, and flew off to find a gold dye basin to add the colour, if only as a highlight to her amber feathers. Upon finding one, she began adding the dye carefully to her feathers as Val had taught her the previous night, and was just about to start on her left wing when an owl approached her.

"I see you've taken a liking to that colour." A deep, throaty voice said, and Kira turned around to find herself face to face with Leo. All of the colours from the previous night were gone, the only one present being the natural coppery colour of his feathers. His eyes shone like two gleaming obsidians, while his white, heart-shaped face bore an expression of amusement.

"Er, yes." Kira stammered nervously, her bravado all but gone. "It's… um… a very nice colour, don't you think."

Leo simply nodded and replied, "Indeed. It's a lovely colour-especially in your feathers."

At the sound of this, Kira nearly fainted; however, she instead stayed firmly on her perch. "What brings you by?" she inquired casually, wondering if this was some sort of prank set up by Val and Athena. However, they appeared to be nowhere in sight.

"Well, I thought I'd show you around." Leo offered, a kind tone in his voice. "Val told me that you were new here, so I figured it was the least I could do." He then tilted his head, a curious look in his eyes. "What is your name, now?"

"Kira." Kira replied, her gizzard giving a slight squeeze as she said this. Leo simply peered deeper into Kira's eyes at this, as if looking for something he had lost long ago. "Funny," he replied, "you look just like…" However, he found himself unable to finish that sentence. "Never mind." He said, his voice regaining its chipper tone. "Follow me, I know this place like the back of my wings." And with that, Leo took off in the air, Kira flying close behind him.

It was the middle of the night when Brutus finally arrived in Silverveil, his gizzard burning and his mind clear. He flew quite a ways through the Shadow Forest after being visited by Purge's scroom, and he had managed to get here quite quickly, much to his surprise. _Maybe being a rogue isn't so bad after all. _Brutus thought to himself and was just about to do some hunting when he heard the voices of two owls-Barn Owls, no doubt-approaching him.

Within moments, Brutus hid in a spruce nearby and watched as the two owls flew by. One was a male, judging by his size, with head and back feathers the colour of copper. The other was perhaps the most beautiful female Brutus had ever seen in his life, with sparkling black eyes, a pure white face and underbelly, and amber feathers that reminded him of… _Cedar! _Brutus realized. _And she has the same tilt to her face that Purge had. That must be their chick; I can feel it in my gizzard. _

The moment he recognized the offspring of Cedar and Purge, a million more thoughts flew through his brain like a blizzard. _I will train her. _Brutus promised himself. _I will teach her in the ways of rage and hatred, and after she kills Kludd and Cedar, I shall take her as my mate! And we will form our own army, and we shall rule it together! By Glaux, I swear! _And with that, Brutus took off from the spruce in silent pursuit.

"It's amazing." Kira said, almost breathless at the scene before her. The first stop on Leo's tour of Silverveil had been a small canyon near Cape Glaux. The canyon was covered in mosses and ferns, and ended in a small waterfall that the locals called Amethyst Falls due to its purplish colour. The soft yet thunderous sound of the falls purred in Kira's ear slits.

"Indeed." Leo replied, a dreamy smile on his face. "You know, some people call this place the Flivling Springs, because a lot of couples have their first dates or even wingfast ceremonies here." He looked at Kira as he said this, and Kira felt a new warmth spreading through her gizzard. She then turned her head to find Leo's sparkling black eyes once again peering deep into hers.

Leo then let out a soft sigh. "Kira," he said tentatively, "can I ask you a personal question?"

"Of course." Kira answered quickly. "Ask me anything you want."

"Why did you come to Silverveil?"

Kira sighed. She figured this would come up sooner or later, but she wasn't quite sure how to explain it. Especially to Leo, on whom she wanted desperately to make a good impression. "Promise you won't freak out?" she asked. "It's a long story, and there are parts you may not like."

At this, Leo wrapped his wing around Kira comfortingly. "Don't worry, Kira." He reassured her. "You can trust me."

With that, Kira launched into her story-how her half-brother Garth had been murdered by her father long before she had hatched, how her father had force-mated her mother, how she had been raised by both her hatch mother and her adoptive parents the eagles, and how she had learned the truth from Garth's scroom. She then told Leo about her encounter with David, and she was about to tell him how it was David who had encouraged her to go to Silverveil when she noticed tears threatening to spill from Leo's eyes. "Leo?" she asked tentatively. "Are you…"

"Did you know Garth and I used to be friends?" Leo sputtered through sobs. Kira's eyes went wide with both shock and pity. "We used to do everything together, and then shortly after his First Flight ceremony, his father enlisted him into the Pure Ones and he left. For months on end, he used to write to me from the Pure Ones, and then one day, the letters just… stopped. I knew that something was wrong when that happened-Garth was never the arrogant type, and the last few letters I got from him seemed more melancholy and even fearful than his first few, but I never imagined…" He then broke down, sobs wracking his body. Kira extended a wing and wrapped it around Leo's shoulders. "Leo, I'm so…"

"Sprink on Garth's father!" Leo sputtered, his voice now filled with rage. "I'll kill that sprinking mooncalf! I'll rip out his gizzard! I'll grind his lungs on rocks! I'll-"

"Leo, stop!" Kira said, her voice quivering. "It's not worth it. Besides, Garth had friends amongst the Pure Ones, and one of them already beat you to it." Leo seemed visibly calmer upon hearing this, and he turned his head towards Kira. "Your mother?"

"No, my Uncle Kludd." Kira replied. "Uncle Kludd was especially close to Garth and my mother, and when Purge killed Garth and force-mated my mother… he got really mad. So he made it so that him and Purge were on the same scouting mission, and once he managed to get Purge alone, he killed him." When Kira finished, she looked up at Leo, whose eyes were slightly duller then they were before.

"Well, Glaux bless your Uncle Kludd." Leo sighed. "Even so, Garth's mother is not going to be particularly happy to hear…" His eyes suddenly went wide with fear as they focused on something behind Kira. "Kira, fly! Get out of here!"

Kira was just about to ask why when she felt a pair of talons wrapping around her and lifting her into the air. She desperately tried to fight her way out, but the harder she fought, the tighter the talons gripped her. As she fought, she screeched in both fear and defiance, in both pain and resistance. She then felt a hard object hit her on the head, and that was the last thing she remembered.

**A/N: Aaahhhh, the suspense! Okay, is it just me, or did Brutus' sympathy levels go down on that last part? I mean, creepy right? What did you guys think? Oh, and Amethyst Falls was inspired by a waterfall near a place on Vancouver Island called Sombrio Beach, which I've heard is perhaps the most beautiful place in the world and the closest one can get to heaven (kind of like a human world Silverveil). As always, show some love and review!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Guardians of Ga'Hoole; full credit goes to Kathryn Lasky. I also do not own Sombrio Beach, although for private reasons I don't wish to disclose, I wish I did.**


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Kira woke up in near darkness to find her head fiercely pounding. After quickly shaking off the dizzy feeling that was settling in, she looked around to see if she could find anything familiar. To her horror, she found nothing that looked like either the dense green forests of Ambala or the lush forests of Silverveil, nor could she see her mum, Streak, Zan, Hortense, Val, Athena, or Leo anywhere. She soon felt a sharp ache in her gizzard at the very thought of Leo. Would she ever see him again? Kira broke from her thoughts when she felt a pair of eyes on her, and she turned around to find an unfamiliar Barn Owl, his gaze fixed on her.

"Hello there, my darling." The Barn Owl greeted her, his voice soft. "I apologize for the pain you must be feeling; I did not wish to hit your head, but I could see no other way to calm you down. Then again, up until now, I have had a very savage lifestyle, so you'll have to forgive me." Kira was unsure whether to be shocked or angry; this owl was most likely a rogue, but it was still no excuse for the way he treated her.

"Look," Kira began coolly, "I don't care about the way you used to live or your feelings about me. Just tell me who you are, where we are, and what we are doing here." As she spoke, she tried desperately not to show how panicked she was; she did not want to give this owl the impression that she was weak.

"Of course, how rude of me." The owl said, a slight chuckle in his voice, making Kira nervous. "I am Brutus." _Brutus! _The name of the co-conspirator in her half-brother's murder filled Kira with a boiling anger, but she stayed silent. "I've brought you here to a particularly lovely region of The Beaks known as Mirror Lakes. The weather here is nice, and there's all the prey you can catch, so I'm sure you'll find no problems-why, silly me! May I politely ask your name?"

Kira thought carefully for a moment. Brutus certainly seemed like he may have reformed, and the promise of nice weather and plentiful game should've brought her reassurance, but instead, the name "Mirror Lakes", combined with the presence of Brutus, made her uneasy. As a result, she gave him a fake name. "Jalene"

"Jalene…" Brutus whispered to himself, as if going into some sort of trance. "What a lovely name. Funny, given the absurd tradition Cedar's family has, I would've thought it would be something like Abalone or Pepper. But Jalene, that is a very sublime name. Where did she get the idea?"

Kira didn't need Brutus to tell her that Cedar was the name her mum once had; while she knew Uncle Kludd and Auntie Nyra called her by her Pure One name-Blaze-Streak had told her about her mother's true name shortly after her mother had visited for her First Meat-on-Bones ceremony. "It belonged to a friend she once knew." Kira replied, the words spilling out. "The Jalene she named me after was killed by a rogue, so she wished to honour her by giving me her name."

"Pity that the original died." Brutus said thoughtfully. "Oh, well, a beautiful name for a beautiful owl nevertheless. But I digress; you're probably wondering why I've brought you here."

_You don't say! _Kira thought scornfully, but held her tongue.

"As you've probably figured out," Brutus began, "I was once in training to become a Pure One alongside your mother. We were very close friends with Garth and were quite devasted when his father murdered him. I wanted desperately to avenge Garth and kill Purge, but your mother… she was hesitant. I later found out that, despite everything, your mother was madly in love with Purge and was actually the one who had arranged Garth's death. Disgusted with the treachery I saw before my eyes, I decided to leave the Pure Ones for good, and now, I live here."

Kira was shocked and angry at what she heard. _You're a liar! _She snarled silently towards Brutus. _I know the truth; you were the one who helped to arrange Garth's murder, and my mother was never in love with Purge! She hated him and he force-mated her! _Ultimately, however, she said none of this aloud, as she had a feeling it would be dangerous.

"However," Brutus continued, oblivious to the hatred in Kira's eyes, "I have heard horrible things from friends I have still in the Pure Ones. From what I hear, Kludd-one of Purge's supporters-has killed the old High Tyto and became leader in his place. I also hear that your mother is currently searching all over the owl kingdoms looking for the resistors who killed Purge, and that she plans to continue what he started-full scale domination of the owl world." Kira could not believe her ear slits. Her Uncle Kludd was _not _one of Purge's supporters; he had killed Purge in order to avenge Garth. How dare Brutus try to tell her that her Uncle Kludd was a supporter of what Purge did!

"Therefore," Brutus finished, "I came quickly to rescue you from her clutches and teach you the truth, so that we may avenge Garth together as comrades and mates. So, no, I'm not mad that you tried to fight me; your courage and determination to defend yourself have already proved that you will be a worthy owl for the task. So, Jalene," he asked, now looking at Kira, "are you ready to begin your training?"

Kira thought for a moment about how to respond. After finally gathering herself, she stood tall and stable from the nest Brutus had made for her. Her eyes glittered with courage and ferocity, and her feathers were beginning to puff up. "You are an adept speaker, Brutus, I shall give you that; you make it seem as though what you say is the truth-even though I know for a fact that you are telling lies."

Brutus' eyes went wide with shock and fear. Seeing that she had his attention, Kira continued. "Don't think for one second that I don't know the truth; it was not my mother who was a conspirator in Garth's death, but you, in a desperate effort to please Purge and further your rankings among the Pure Ones. I also know that my Uncle Kludd had killed Purge in order to avenge Garth, and I know enough about both of them to know they would despise an owl like you. So, to answer your question, no, I will not train with you to kill either of them for crimes they did not commit. Nor will I be your mate now or ever, so you might want to think about hiding the 'darling' I see forming on your disgusting beak!" At this, Brutus' beak hung open. This was not going the way he had hoped, not at all.

Finally, his eyes narrowed into tiny little slits. "I was hoping to appeal to you by reason, Jalene." He said, his voice as soft as before. Now, however, there was a hint of menace within it. "Now, however, I will have to use force, so don't say I didn't try to be merciful." With that, Brutus let out a shree and lunged at Kira; Kira, however, was quick and flew straight out of the hollow-and as far away from it and Brutus as she could. The moment she was away from the Mirror Lakes area, she quickly noticed the weather here wasn't just nice-it was Golden Rain weather! _There is a haggish enchantment on this place, I swear to Glaux!_ Kira thought to herself.

She was still pondering the strange enchantment over The Beaks when she landed on the branch of a spruce tree, confident that she was far enough away from Brutus to make a safe landing. She quickly hopped into hollow within the spruce and began scratching a map of the owl kingdoms-like the ones Streak used to use when he taught her about each kingdom. She traced out a route back to Silverveil and then determined that it would take at least two nights if she flew out over The Barrens and the Sea of Hoolemere and three if she flew over the branch of the Sea of Hoolemere that separated The Beaks and the kingdoms of The Barrens and Ambala, then flew over Ambala and The Barrens. Knowing full well that time was of the essence, she decided upon taking the two-night route and was just about to leave when she heard a frightening shree above her and decided against leaving.

As Kira hid in the hollow, she could hear the sounds of a battle going on above her. She could tell by the raspy voices that there were many Tytos involved, and she listened for any familiar notes in the voices. Was her mother in that battle? Uncle Kludd? Auntie Nyra? Uncle Pigwidgeon? She listened, but none of the voices sounded familiar, and Kira didn't know whether to be relieved or saddened. When she at last heard the sounds of the battle fading, she crept tentatively out of the hollow, only to find scores of Tytos laying stunned on the ground.

Just like in her dream.

**A/N: Uh-oh, I smell trouble... So, what did you guys think? I knew there was going to be trouble the moment Brutus lay eyes on Kira, but I was still quite surprise by how creepy and stalkerish he turned out to be. And yes, Kira has now witnessed the Great Downing. As always, show some love and review!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Guardians of Ga'Hoole; full credit goes to Kathryn Lasky.**


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Blaze, Banshee, Kludd, and Nyra were following Delphine through the lush green forests of Silverveil. So far, they had seen signs that Kira had been here-molted feathers, a yarped pellet-but had not seen Kira herself, and Blaze was getting worried. _Someowl, _she thought anxiously to herself, _may have found Kira here and owlnapped her or even killed her. No, perish the thought! If they even so much as lay a talon on my daughter I'll- _Her thoughts were interrupted by the feeling of something-or someowl-crashing into her and knocking her to the ground.

As Blaze got back onto her feet, she decided to take a quick look at her attacker. It was a Barn Owl, no doubt about that, and it didn't seem to have a malicious bone in it's body. In fact, the owl wore a look of fear and desperation on his face, as if he were trying to find an owl, and his coppery brown feathers were askew. Blaze straightened out her feathers and looked at the owl dead on; under normal circumstances, she would've attacked this owl right here and now, but Blaze sensed that diplomacy would be needed in this case. With that, she turned to face the owl and gave him as polite of a look as possible.

"Good evening, owl. My name is Sublieutenant Blaze." Blaze began, using the formal greeting preferred by many of the Pure Ones in matters of diplomacy - name and rank first, then introducing any other owls with you, and then stating the purpose of your mission. She then gestured to Banshee, Nyra, Kludd, and Delphine as she said, "These are Sublieutenant Banshee, Adjunct General Nyra, High Tyto Metal Beak, and our tracker Delphine. We are currently searching for-"

At this, the owl quickly cut in. "Would Metal Beak happen to have another name? Kludd, perhaps?" His tone seemed rather hurried and he sounded out of breath.

At this, Blaze narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Yes." she replied slowly. "How do you know this?"

"Your daughter, ma'am." The owl replied in the same tone. "Kira, she-"

Upon hearing Kira's name, Blaze's suspicion-as well as her professional front-faded. "Kira?" she asked, shocked. "She's been here? You've seen her? Is she alright?"

At this, a sad look entered the owl's eyes. "Yes." he replied. "We were at Amethyst Falls when she was snatched... by a rogue. I tried flying after him, tried saving her, but... he flew too far. I don't want her to die... I love her."

At this, Blaze's gizzard nearly broke in half for this poor owl, and each half seemed to be feeling different things. One half felt glad both at the possibility that Kira was still alive and that she had been able to find a good potential mate here, and the other felt angry and enraged that someone had actually snatched her daughter. Feeling his gizzard tremble with sorrow at seeing the state Blaze was in, Kludd stepped towards the owl. "Can you remember anything about what this owl looked like? And do you have any suspicions about where he might be headed?"

The copper brown Barn Owl attempted to regain his composure. "Yes." He replied. "He was a Barn Owl with rather light brown head and back feathers, almost a mahogany colour. The feathers at the edges of his face were a little tattered, and he had some scars near his breast, but the feathers there and on his face were still pure white, and his eyes were black; when he looked at me, they seemed... cold." The owl shuddered, then continued. "As for where he was headed, I didn't follow him far enough to know for sure, but something in my gizzard tells me he was heading for The Beaks."

Upon hearing this, every owl in the party wilfed. Every one of them, save Delphine, could easily match that description to Brutus; Blaze, in particular, was caught in a mixture of horror that Brutus was still alive and anger that he had taken her daughter. Even Delphine, however, knew about the deadly enchantment The Beaks-particularly the region known as the Mirror Lakes-could cast on young owls. If an owl looked at it's reflection while standing near the pond, it would become obsessed with it and would never leave that place; if an owl looked while flying, it would go yeep and plunge into to the lake. And if the owl wasn't a Fish or Eagle Owl, it meant instant death. Hearing both pieces of news meant finding Kira was now more urgent then ever.

Kludd nodded respectfully towards the owl. "Thank you, owl." he replied calmly. "This information will be most useful to us." The owl looked at all four of them nervously, and as Blaze took off, he decided to speak up.

"I don't know what Kira did wrong," he said, his voice now ringing with determination. "but she is a kind hearted owl with the best of intentions. When you find her, have mercy on her; she loves you all very much."

As touched as she was by the owl's plea, Nyra's gizzard felt an uncomfortable twinge in her gizzard when she heard the word 'love'. It was almost as if something in there was trying to lunge out and choke the owl... but why? She had said 'I love you' to Kludd upon multiple occasions, and Kludd had said it back each time. And on none of those occasions had her gizzard felt that twinge. So why was she feeling it now?

"I don't doubt that she does, kind owl." Blaze said, trying to fill in the awkward silence that had occurred. She wasn't quite sure what had happened, but she knew that something had upset Her Pureness, and this was _not _the place for ruffled feathers. "I'm sure she does not mean to hurt us. But as a mother, I worry for her; I now know that there are those out there trying to hurt her, and I simply want to find her alive and well." With that, she took off, and as Nyra saw the look in Blaze's eyes-one of determination and love for her daughter-Nyra's gizzard gave that little twinge again. As she flew, one thought raced through her mind: _What is wrong with me?_

_I tried my hardest, Purge, I truly did. _Brutus cried out voicelessly as Purge's scroom was facing him yet again. He had just related to Purge his failure to convince Jalene to join him and his further failure in keeping her from flying off. Purge's scroom seemed to look thoughful, and Brutus desperately hoped he wouldn't be the target of Purge's scorching rage. But Purge simply nodded.

_I understand. _Purge replied._ This is not your fault; I knew she was going to be tricky the moment I first saw her. She bears all the feistiness of her mother; were she not so desperate to flee, she may have clawed you right then and there._ He then looked straight into Brutus' eyes._ Perhaps with my help, you will be able to find her and speak to her. However, if you want my help, you may have to go through a process you may find slightly painful. Are you willing to do this?_

Brutus was shaking in his feathers now-not with fear, but with excitement. Whatever help his idol-the great and powerful Purge-could offer _had _to be worth whatever pain came with it. _Yes, my liege_. He replied wordlessly. _I accept your assistance._ With that, the scroom of Purge flew towards Brutus at a blinding speed, and when it passed through him, Brutus felt a slight twinge in his gizzard. However, he also felt the swelling of his sinews and a rush of power surge through him as his feathers, normally a rich mahogany colour, became streaked in and out with tan feathers-just like Purge had! A realization soon rushed through him: Purge was taking his form!

_Yes._ Purge's voice sounded like thunder in his head. _And my knowledge is now yours. This will help you find Jalene. _This filled Brutus with a surge of confidence he had never known, and with that, he took flight, his eyes burning with determination. If any owls lived in these parts, they would shrink back into their hollows. This owl was possessed!

**A/N: I'm baaaaaaaaaacccccckkkkkkk! I apologize for the delay; my computer's been having serious technical difficulties and it's been kinda crazy. Hope you like my Christmas gift to you guys, the readers! Okay, so I had originally planned to have Purge possess Brutus earlier on in the story, but I had completely forgotten about that idea until now. What do you guys think? As always, show some love and review.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Guardians of Ga'Hoole; full credit goes to Kathryn Lasky.**


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

"There you go, youngster." Kira said as she gently placed a young Masked Owl in a nest she had created. After making sure the coast was clear, Kira had flown to the roots of the spruce she hid in during the previous battle in which the Masked Owl and scores of other Tyto owlets had been dropped and had dug out a small spot in which to hide them while they recuperated. Granted, she was definitely no Burrowing Owl, but she had been able to make a sufficient hole, after which she went about making nests for the owlets to sleep in. Her wings and breast were nearly bare from plucking down for such nests.

After placing the Masked Owl gently into the nest, she looked around the hiding spot grimly. _This is when it would help, _Kira thought to herself, _to have a nest-maid snake or two._ So far, she had rescued 3 Masked Owls, including the one she had just arrived with, 4 Grass Owls, 9 Sooty Owls, and 12 Barn Owls-all in all, 28 owlets, all Tytos, all stunned and cold, and all far away from their nests. Worse still, a few were horribly wounded, with deep gashes on their wings, foreheads, and breasts. When she wasn't transferring owlets here, she was digging up medicinal worms or leeches or searching for poppy seeds, lavender, elk root-anything she could find that would help these owlets. Glaux only knows how they became involved in this battle, but they needed help, and fast.

"Take it easy, now, little fellow; you'll get fixed up just fine." Kira was now tending to one of the Grass Owls; this one had suffered a horrific head wound and was in something of a feverish state. She placed her talons gently on the owl's belly and began applying leeches to the wound when the Grass Owl cried out in a soft, mournful voice, "In my purity, I cry to my Tyto, but he is not there!"

Kira was slightly taken aback; she had heard many delirious owl say strange things, but _this _was new. Just then, a stream of voices from within the hollow began reciting very similar poetry-about Tyto purity, of Tyto righteousness, of Tytos seeking revenge. Finally, she let out a desperate shree, "That's enough, all of you!" With that, the entire hideout fell silent. _Thank Glaux._ She thought to herself, and went back to tending the injured Grass Owl who started the babble.

"Now, sweetheart, stop that babbling." Kira murmured quietly to the owl. "Just focus on resting, you'll be better before you know it." She then began to sing a little song that she had thought of to soothe her fears when she was a young owlet. Although Brutus may hear her voice and recognize it, it would be worth it if this song could bring comfort to this little owlet.

_Just when you think_

_Hope is lost_

_And giving up_

_Is all you got;_

_Blue turns black,_

_your confidence is cracked_

_There seems no turning back from here_

_When your feet_

_Are made of stone_

_And your convinced_

_That your all alone,_

_Look at the stars_

_Instead of the dark._

_You'll find your heart shines like the sun._

_Let's not let our anger get us lost,_

_When the need to be right comes with way too high a cost._

_That's when you can build a bridge of light,_

_That's what turns the wrongs all right,_

_That's when you know it's worth the fight._

_That's when love turns nighttime into day,_

_That's when loneliness goes away,_

_That's why you gotta be strong this night._

_'Cause only love can build us a bridge of light._

Just outside of the hollow Kira had dug out, a score of Great Grays, Spotted Owls, Pygmies, Burrowing Owls, Snowies-owls of all shapes and sizes were flying through this part of the Beaks and a small part of Ambala that had been affected, picking up fallen owlets and carrying them to a station nearby. It was their leader, a female Snowy, who first heard Kira's voice, and she flew down towards the roots of the spruce to investigate. Soon, a few other owls went over to their leader and were stunned at the sight of the hollow-and of Kira. Who was this Barn Owl? Where did she find these owlets? And how had she managed to attend to them without a single nest-maid? The Snowy was perhaps the most curious of them all; this Barn Owl was unlike any she had ever met, and yet, the sound of her voice echoing from the roots of the spruce reminded the Snowy of an ancient light, one that had roots in evil, but a gizzard as pure as moonlight. Kira, for her part, was unaware of the audience she had and continued to sing.

_Deep breath,_

_Take it on the chin._

_But don't forget_

_To let it all back in._

_That's when love can build a bridge of light,_

_That's what turns the wrongs all right,_

_That's when you can't give up the fight._

_And that's when love turns nighttime into day,_

_That's when loneliness goes away,_

_That's why you gotta be strong tonight,_

_'Cause only love can build us a bridge of light._

_Only love can build us a bridge of light._

_Only love can build us a bridge of light._

Having now finished the song, Kira turned her attention to the owlet. To her eternal relief, the owl had stopped it's babbling and was now sound asleep, a look of serene calm on it's face. Kira suddenly became aware of yellow, amber, and brown eyes on her, and she quickly used her port wing to shield the owlet while the rest of her body took on a threat display, challenging whoever was watching her to step into the nest.

"Fear not, young owl." A deep hoot sounded from outside the hollow, carrying the mewling sounds of a female Snowy Owl. However, this voice had an almost dignified sound to it. "Me and the owls I travel with mean you no harm. I am Barran, ryb of the search-and-rescue chaw and queen of The Great Ga'Hoole Tree."

**A/N: Squeeeeee! Looks like Kira's going to receive a little help from the Guardians! Thank Glaux, huh? Oh, and the song Kira sings to the little Grass Owl is "Bridge of Light" from Happy Feet Two (as those of you who have seen it will be able to tell, I used the version used in the movie; I always liked that version a little better. What did you guys think? As always, show some love and review!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Guardians of Ga'Hoole or "Bridge of Light"; full credit goes to their respective writers.**


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

"Right this way, Axel, just place that Barn Owl right here." Kira watched as a bunchy Short-Eared Owl directed a Great Horned carrying a wounded Barn Owl to a nest on her port side. Barran and a group of other owls helped Kira carry the owlets she rescued to a station they had made, where thousands of other owlets were getting whatever medical assistance they needed. While they flew, Barran told her that this mission had started off as routine, but by the first reconnaissance wave, things had gotten out of hand. As a result, there were more owls out than usual-even owls who weren't in the search-and-rescue chaw were being called to help these owlets. Kira didn't quite know what a chaw was, but she had a feeling it had something to do with a group of owls who either specialized in or were learning a particular set of skills. Such an explanation would make sense in this context.

"You say she was taking care of these owlets all by herself when you found them?" An elderly Spotted Owl asked Barran. Barran had just told her about the situation at hand-including how Kira had dug a hideout, moved 28 of the owlets, and had at tented to their wounds all on her own.

Barran nodded and turned towards Kira. "What is your name, miss?" She asked politely.

"Kira, Your Majesty." Kira replied.

"I see." Barran replied thoughtfully. "Kira, this is my dear friend Strix Struma, ryb of the navigation chaw at the Great Tree."

Kira dipped her head towards Strix Struma politely. "Charmed." she greeted.

"Likewise." Strix Struma replied. "Barran tells me you cared for multiple owlets on your own."

"Yes." Kira replied timidly. "It was difficult work, but I was able to manage. I had learned from Papa Streak and Mama Zan how to find leeches and different herbs, and it's a good thing they did, otherwise I'd never be able to…"

"You call your parents by their first names?" Strix Struma asked, a hint of interest in her voice.

"Oh, no, ma'am, Papa Streak and Mama Zan aren't my parents." Kira answered. "If they were, I'd be a bald eagle, not a Barn Owl."

At this, both Strix Struma and Barran's eyes went wide with surprise. "You lived with eagles?" They asked.

Kira nodded. "I couldn't live with my mother, for some reasons I don't quite know and others I wish not to disclose, but Papa Streak and Mama Zan were good friends of hers, so she gave me to them. She still visits me quite often, though; at least she did… before I became a flyaway." At the mention of her mum, a note of sadness crept into Kira's voice and she hung her head. Barran sensed that there was more that Kira wasn't telling them; however, she felt now was not the time to push.

"I see." Barran said, a note of sympathy in her voice. "Well, perhaps you could show us how you helped the owlets; the herbs you used, how you gathered the leeches. I sense you may have quite a lot to teach us." Kira nodded and motioned Barran, Strix Struma, and a group of other owls to follow her. It was truly a shame that Papa Streak, Mama Zan, and her mum weren't around to see their daughter put her skills to good use.

"You'll need elk root to keep any infection at bay." Kira instructed a group of young owls, their eyes shining with interest, as she tended to a wounded Sooty. "You'll also need leeches to help clean up the bleeding, and cobwebs to help prevent the wound from bleeding any further. And poppy seeds and lavender will help to dull the pain." As she spoke, she demonstrated the proper procedure for each step, and the owls gathered gasped in awe. This was probably one of the smartest owls they had seen.

As Kira was feeding the poppy seeds and lavender to the Sooty, Barran and a male Snowy whom Kira guessed to be her mate approached her. "Kira," she began, "my mate Boron and I have spoken with Strix Struma and other members of the parliament, and we'd like you to come to the Great Tree with us."

Kira's eyes widened in surprise. "You…" she stammered. "You mean it?"

Barran nodded. "Everyone was very impressed when I told them how you cared for those owlets on your own. We think you are a brave and noble owl who has much to offer the owls of the tree, and so we have agreed: you are more than welcome to come with us to the tree, where you will be able to offer a seminar in which you teach other owls what you have learned, and then after the seminar is over, you are invited to take up residence in the great tree and be a member of the search-and-rescue chaw and in time, a Guardian of Ga'Hoole. Do you accept?"

Barran's words made Kira shiver with excitement. She would be able to teach other owls at this tree-and then she could become one of them! A Guardian! Never in her life had Kira felt so honoured. _If only Papa Streak and Mama Zan were here to see this. _Kira thought to herself. _And Mum and Uncle Kludd and Auntie Nyra and Uncle Pigwidgeon! Oh, they'd be so proud, I just know it!_ With eyes shining solemnly and her head bowed, Kira replied, "Your Majesty, it is with great honour that I humbly accept your offer."

Barran nodded. "It is decided then." She said quietly. "On behalf of the parliament and of the search-and-rescue chaw, I welcome you, Kira, amongst the Guardians of Ga'Hoole." Kira's chest swelled with pride, and a series of welcoming hoots and shrees greeted her ears.

"Kira!"

"Congratulations, Kira!"

"Welcome, young Kira!"

At this point, another Snowy appeared, this time on Barran's port side. "You must be exhausted from tending to those owlets." Barran said sympathetically. "For this reason, I have asked Aspen here to escort you to the Island of Hoole. He is a strong flier and one of my best students." At this, Aspen picked Kira gently up with his talons and flew towards the tree.

"You're a very lucky owl." Aspen said without a hint of jealousy in his voice. "Most owls who join the Guardians have to go through preliminary training before joining a chaw. Barran must think very highly of you."

"I guess." Kira churred, slightly embarrassed. "She seemed pretty impressed when I showed her those herbs."

"Ah, so your the owl who saved those owlets." Aspen said, now in awe. Kira nodded sheepishly. "Well, no wonder. You'll be able to teach the others quite a lot back at the tree; most of us know very little about herbs. And you're going to love our library; it's filled with books on every subject you can imagine, from healing to weather to navigation to higher magnetics…"

Aspen went on and on about the pleasures of cooked meat and about Madame Plonk, who sings like the angels of glaumora, but as soon as Aspen mentioned the library, Kira's mind began to wander. _So many books! _she thought excitedly. _And nothing spronk, not a single topic off-limits! Oh, the things I shall learn, the knowledge I'll gain. _Already, her mind became filled with questions-questions she wanted to ask Barran and the other owls of the tree, and questions she hoped she could find the answers to in books. Her gizzard was in a tizzy just at the thought of it, and before long, she began peppering Aspen with questions that he answered as best as he could.

They had been flying through a thick fog for a while, and Kira was now beginning to see the outline of a tall tree of which the branches seemed to reach up and pierce the sky. _That must be The Great Ga'Hoole Tree!_ Kira thought, her gizzard shivering with excitement. _Oh, I can't wait to meet everyone! How many species of owls are there? Are they nice? Great Glaux, I hope they don't all mistake me for Purge! _Kira was still in the midst of these thoughts when a gizzard-shattering shree broke her out of her concentration, and she looked up and saw a Barn Owl flying towards them. His eyes were cold and full of rage, and his mahogany feathers were now streaked with tan ones, but Kira's gizzard turned to stone; there was no mistaking who that owl was. It was Brutus!

"Impure!" Brutus shreed angrily. "She's mine!" With that, Brutus clawed at Aspen, and the shock caused the latter to drop Kira. Kira tried desperately to fly to the great tree, to get help, but her wings wouldn't move; she had gone yeep. "Help!" Kira shreed, hoping that any Guardians would be able to hear her. "Someowl help! Aspen is being attacked!"

"Kira's abductor would've undoubtedly taken this route." Delphine said as her, Blaze, Kludd, Nyra, and Banshee flew over The Sea of Hoolemere. "It is the quickest and least conspicuous way from Silverveil to The Beaks." She then turned her head towards Kludd and whispered, "You say this owl, Brutus, is a vicious owl?"

"Very." Kludd replied gravely. "The Pure Ones cast him out long ago." The memory of Garth dead, his head twisted at an unnatural angle, came back to Kludd in all it's horror. Blaze and Banshee, too, remembered that bloody day. How they hated Brutus!

"In that case, we'll have to move quickly." Delphine replied, and was about to suggest a quick way to Mirror Lakes, when a voice cried through the mist, "Help! Someowl help! Aspen is being attacked!" Only the four Barn Owls could hear it, and neither of them knew who in hagsmire Aspen was, but they'd recognize that voice anywhere.

"Kira!" Blaze shreed desperately and flew as fast as she could towards the voice, with Kludd, Nyra, and Banshee in hot pursuit. In addition to Kira's cries for help, they could also hear the alarm call of a Snowy Owl-Aspen, perhaps-and the angry shrees of Brutus although they sounded a lot like… _Purge!_ The thought burst in Blaze's head. _Brutus is possessed by Purge! Oh, Glaux, no!_ Terror filled her gizzard at the thought of the owls responsible for Garth's murder-and the owl who force-mated her-but Blaze flew on, determined to find her daughter. Before long, they saw the silhouettes of Aspen and Brutus fighting… and of Kira, yeep, plunging towards the water.

"Kira!" Blaze shreed, and with a determined look on her face, dove towards her daughter.

"Kira!" A familiar voice shreed through Kira's fear, and she looked to find a familiar owl flying towards her. _Mum!_ she shreed silently, her gizzard filled with joy. _Uncle Kludd! Auntie Nyra! And Uncle Pigwidgeon! They're here; oh thank Glaux, they're here! _With that, Kira was broken out of her yeep spell and was filled with a strength she had never known. Words she had never known before echoed through her brain, as if from a long-forgotten past: "I am nothing, and yet I have loved."

Suddenly, a maverick thought shot through her brain. _I am the offspring of a vicious owl, _she thought, _but I do not bear his heart or his gizzard. I have the feathers of my mum and the face of my da, but I was raised by eagles and learned things no other owl has learned. I have flown from Ambala to Silverveil to The Beaks with nothing but the stars to guide me, I have seen Festival de Outono, I have resisted my father, resisted whatever enchantment lies over this place. I have rescued 28 Tyto owlets and tended to them by myself, I have met Guardians of Ga'Hoole, and I have been chosen to join them. I bear my father's face, but I am more than that. _And with that, Kira flew towards Brutus and Aspen. _My uncle Kludd killed my father once. _She decided. _I will kill him-and Brutus-again if I have to. For my half-brother, dead; for my mum, force-mated; and for Aspen_

Suddenly, she flew upwards between Aspen and the possessed Brutus, facing him. "I know you're there, da!" She shreed, all traces of fear gone from her voice. "And I denounce you! I am my own owl!" And with that, she plunged her talons into Brutus' heart, then removed them and watched as the dying Brutus plunged headfirst into the sea.

**A/N: OMG, that was intense (and long)! Looks as if Kira's identity crisis is officially over; on the one wing, I am quite happy that Kira finally knows who she is, but on the other, I'm sad, because it means the story is almost over! *sobs uncontrollably* What did you guys think! As always, show some love and review!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Guardians of Ga'Hoole; full credit goes to Kathryn Lasky **


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Blaze watched, amazed, as Kira broke out of her yeep spell and began flying upwards. For a second, it seemed as if she was flying towards Blaze, at the last second, however, Kira abruptly switched direction and started flying towards the battling Aspen and Brutus. For a second, hurt and confusion filled Blaze's gizzard until she saw Kira fly between the two owls. "I know you're there da!" Blaze heard her daughter shree. "And I denounce you! I am my own owl!" Blaze then watched, amazed, as Kira shoved her talons into Brutus' heart, killing him. _Incredible. _Blaze thought to herself as she watched the dying Brutus fall into the waters below. _She's standing up to her father and her captor-something I should've done a long time ago._

Kira, unaware that her mother was flying slowly towards her, landed on the branch of a nearby birch tree and took in the scene before her. A group of owls, possibly matrons, flew towards Aspen and guided him towards what Kira guessed to be the infirmary. Many others had come out to watch the battle, and half of those owls were now staring at the water below, while others were staring at Kira. Kira herself was shaking uncontrollably; she, who had never had any battle training in her life, had just killed Brutus with her bare talons. It was as if she had flown out of her own body in that instance. _Brutus, who helped to murder my brother, is dead! My da, who made life a living hagsmire for my mum, Uncle Kludd, Auntie Nyra, and Uncle Pigwidgeon, is gone for good! And at long last, I know who I am-da or no da!_ She was wrapped in these thoughts when she felt her mother's wing graze her shoulders. "Kira?" her voice whispered.

Kira turned around to face her mum, and their heart-shaped faces radiated pure joy. "Mum?" she cried. "Oh, mum, it's so good to see you again!" And with that, mother and daughter wrapped their wings around one another, sobbing with elation, as Kludd, Nyra, Banshee, Delphine, and the owls of Ga'Hoole looked on at the joyous reunion before them.

"We must be going now." Kludd said to Kira. The six owls had landed at Cape Glaux, where Diamondclaw had told them that scores of recruits had been snatched by St. Aggies and were now missing, and no sooner had Kludd heard it than he announced that him, Nyra, and Banshee would have to return to the fortress in order to plan a new strategy. He then gave Delphine the promised battle claws and thanked her for her assistance, and was now saying his goodbyes to Kira. Only Blaze, he told her, would stay behind and speak with her regarding the matter. "Take care, Kira."

"Goodbye, Uncle Kludd." Kira replied, embracing him one last time. She then did the same for Nyra and Banshee before approaching Delphine. "Goodbye, Delphine." she said. "Have a safe flight."

"Farewell, young one." Delphine replied. "You know, when your mother asked me to help find you, I was surprised that she wanted anything to do with an egg that had been produced via force-mating. Remind me to never again question the strength of a mother's devotion." And with that, she flew away, leaving Kira and her mother to talk alone.

After both mother and daughter were confident no one could hear them, Kira told Blaze everything-how Garth's scroom had told her the truth about her father, how the Burrowing Owl David encouraged her to go to Silverveil, taking part in Festival de Outono, meeting Val, Athena, and Leo, her abduction by Brutus and her escape, tending to the 28 owlets on her own, and being invited to train as a Guardian at The Great Ga'Hoole Tree, as well as Brutus' attack on Aspen-and how, in turn, she had killed Brutus. When she finished her story, Kira looked up at her mum, eyes shining not with anger, but confusion. "Why didn't you tell me about Da and Garth?" Kira asked plaintively. "And why did you give me up?"

Blaze sighed. "I should've known this day would come." She then turned to Kira, her eyes filled with sorrow. "It is true that your Uncle Kludd avenged me and Garth-your half-brother and our dear friend-by killing your father. However, your da had many supporters, a lot of which were still amongst the Pure Ones. I feared for what would happen to both of us if any of them knew of your existence or how it came to be, so I gave you to the eagles. As for why I didn't tell you the truth…" Here Blaze paused, as if she were wondering whether or not to tell Kira. "I feared that the truth would hurt you, make you feel as if I didn't love or want you. This was not something I wanted you to feel, because I knew that while I had not planned to have you, Glaux had a great purpose for you, one I now know for certain was outside the Pure Ones, and I loved you as any mother would love her chick. I was wrong; I see now that the truth has made you a stronger and wiser owl, and while I shall avoid the Guardians of Ga'Hoole like gray scale," here Blaze churred, "I can't imagine any better place for you than the great tree, and I am proud of the owl you have become." She then looked into her daughters eyes remorsefully. "I am sorry for keeping the truth from you, dear Kira; can you forgive me?"

Kira's eyes were brimming with tears when she heard this. Her entire life, she realized, had been shaped by her mother's love-a love that moved her mother to give her to the eagles, where she knew she would be safe, one that moved her to look for her daughter, regardless of the perils she would face, one that moved her to see past differences to be proud of her daughter, and one that moved her to realize her mistakes and to make amends. "Yes, Mum," she replied, her voice wavering, "Yes, I forgive you, and I thank you. For everything." With that, Blaze and Kira flew into each other's embraces, sobbing declarations of love and gratitude. And at that moment, three voices sounded out in the darkness; two in the raspy voices of Tytos, the other in the unmistakable _toot-toot _voice of a Northern Saw-Whet Owl.

"Kira!"

Kira's face lit up with joy as she recognized the three silhouettes now moving towards her at an incredible speed. "Val!" she shreed joyfully. "Athena!" She then felt her gizzard dance for joy as she recognized the Barn Owl that flew with them. "Leo! Oh, Leo, it's you; it's really you!" She then felt the elated embrace of her three friends as they tackled her to the ground. "How did you guys find me?"

"Leo followed your feathers." Val said excitedly. "He was prepared to track you all the way to The Beaks!"

Upon hearing this, Kira's heart and gizzard filled with love for Leo. "Oh, Leo…" she said, her voice a soft sigh as tears filled her eyes once again.

Leo stepped towards Kira, his eyes shining with trepidation. "Kira," he began, "never in my life have I ever met an owl like you. You bear the face of a vicious and brutal owl, but that is where your resemblance to him ends; you are the kindest, bravest, most beautiful owl I have ever known. Therefore, while we haven't known each other long, I feel compelled to ask you something I wanted to ask you at Amethyst Falls before you were snatched…"

Kira's gizzard quivered madly now. _Oh Glaux. _She thought to herself. _Is he…_ Before she could finish the thought, Leo gently grasped her port foot with his, black eyes staring into black eyes. "Kira Plicata," he began, "will you…"

"Yes." Kira answered before Leo finished. "I am honoured to be yours." She then turned her head towards Val and Athena, whose eyes were shining with pure happiness. "I have recently been asked to go to the great tree and train as a Guardian. I would be honoured if the three of you would join me."

Leo, too happy to even speak, nodded. "Yes." Val said, shoulders straightened. "Follow you anywhere, ma'am!" Athena hooted joyfully, and with that Kira embraced her three friends. Now she was truly going to the great tree, and with her friends-and her mate!

Life couldn't have possibly been better.

**A/N: Aaaah, the story's almost over! And I couldn't be happier with the fate Kira will now have! So yea, I'm a little disappointed that the story has to end so soon, but I'm really grateful for the support it's gotten. I think I'll be writing a sequel to "A Story of Rage and Love" after I've finished this one. What did you guys think? As always, show some love and review!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Guardians of Ga'Hoole; full credit goes to Kathryn Lasky.**


	14. Epilogue

Epilogue

_Drink, drink to old Ga'Hoole-_

_Boola boola boola boole!_

_Come along, mates, and give a tipple-_

_how that wine makes gizzards ripple!_

Kira nearly laughed out loud at the scene before her. This was her first time at the Ga'Hoolian celebration known as the Harvest Festival, and it was customary to start the evening with Madame Plonk singing the "Harvest Hymn". However, Bubo, the tree's blacksmith, had bursted in with this song, and the mood went from solemn to merry in thirteen seconds flat. Madame Plonk herself seemed to enjoy the change of mood, and Kira's friend Val was dancing merrily with Bubo.

Ever since Kira and her friends had arrived at the great tree, life had been absolutely splendid. Thousands of owls eagerly attended Kira's seminar, and even after she became a member of the search-and-rescue chaw, many were still asking her questions about that day. Her friends fared quite well, too; Leo had recently been tapped for the navigation chaw, Val had been picked for metals, and Athena had been tapped for healing. Kira remembered that day quite well; Val had been thrilled and had hung her iron tree up in the hollow, Leo had been absolutely dumbfounded, and Athena had panicked, claiming she knew next to nothing about healing. Fortunately, Kira had been able to help her on the parts where she had gotten stuck, and before long, Athena became a natural. She was still, however, the biggest flirt Kira had ever met, and at the moment, she saw the chirpy little Saw-Whet fluffing her feathers in front of a Saw-Whet named Martin. Martin, Kira had learned, was in the weather interpretation chaw, and the weather interpretation chaw was taught by a Whiskered Screech named Ezylryb… who was currently missing.

Kira was pondering Ezylryb's disappearance when a new song began playing. Barran flew towards where Madame Plonk had previously been. "Owls of Ga'Hoole," she began, "as you know, the brave owl Kira arrived at the tree after proving her intelligence and her bravery during what has come to be called The Great Downing." A cheer went up from the crowd, and Kira looked away modestly. "You may also know that Kira has brought three friends with her, and the four of them have asked to perform a special song sung at many celebrations in Silverveil. And so, I would like you to please welcome Kira, Valentina, Leonardo, and Athena!" A massive cheer went up from the audience, and the song that had started playing began to pick up rhythm as Kira and her friends started dancing and singing.

_(Scatting) Hey, hey, hey! (Leo: Come on, get up!)_

_(Scatting) Hey, hey, hey! (Leo: Yeah!)_

_(Scatting) Hey, hey, hey!_

_(Scatting) Hey, hey, hey!_

_Oh-oh-oh… oh-oh-oh_

_We're together, no matter where we may go (Leo: ooh…)_

_Ah-ah-ah… Ah-ah-ah_

_Through whatever, together, we can go far_

_Leo: It's the emerald we treasure, coming from the forest to you_

_Kira: Beating like it's heart beats,_

_Val: Playing rhythms we've grown to_

_Leo: It's the emerald we treasure_

_Kira &amp; Val: Coming from the place where we live (Leo: Place where we live, ooh-ooh…). The home of freedom and_

_Kira, Val &amp; Leo: Happiness_

_Athena: Time flies forever, _

_The forest's like a breeze_

_It's a wonder, now ready your feathers_

_In case someone wants you to dance!_

Athena looked to her partner, a Burrowing Owl known as Aya, only to find her sleeping. Annoyed, Athena nudged Aya with her talons. "Come on, Aya!" she hooted, gesturing to a group of Burrowing Owls dancing away. "You're missing the whole festival!"

"Alright, alright!" Aya replied, slightly grumpy. "Saw-Whets…"

_ Leva na batida, bate o tambor_

_Leva na batida, dá um show_

_Leva na batida, whoa, whoa_

_Leva na batida, leva pro gol..._

Kira had been doing a lively dance with a young Fish Owl in her chaw when she noticed a small gathering of mist on a branch outside of the Great Hollow. Uttering an apology to her partner, she flew outside towards the gathering of mist and watched as it took on the now familiar shape of her half brother. _This is about that unfinished business, isn't it?_ She asked wordlessly

_Yes. _Garth's scroom replied. _Business that is finished thanks to you. I never had the courage to oppose my father the way you did, so you stood up for both of us. And for that, I will be forever grateful._

Kira felt a strange calm flow through her. _You're not coming back, are you? _ She asked him, although her voice had no sorrow in it.

_No, Kira. _Garth replied. _The time has at last come for me to go to glaumora. Do not weep for me though, for while we are separated on Earth, I shall always watch over you._

_And in my heart you shall remain._ Kira replied, and watched calmly as the scroom of her brother faded away. _To glaumora at last. _Kira thought to herself as she joined back into the festivities, dancing now with Leo, Val, and Athena. Even so, something in her gizzard seemed to give a little twinge. The threat of Purge and Brutus may have vanished, but Kira sensed a larger storm on the horizon. For now, however, she would dance, sing, and celebrate with her friends, because at long last, her brother has found peace.

And so has she.

**A/N: Waaaaahhhhh! The story's over! Seriously guys, thank you so much for your support for this story. Now that this story is finished, I will definitely go back to writing about Kludd and Nyra, since they do a lot in books 4-6. However, this will not be the last you see of Kira, I promise! Oh, and the song used in this chapter is "Batucada Familia" from ****_Rio 2_****, with some lyrics changed for context, of course. As always, show some love and review!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Guardians of Ga'Hoole or "Batucada Familia"; full credit goes to their respective writers**


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